Box Authenticate an Element Instance | Cloud Elements Help Center

You can authenticate with Box to create your own instance of the Box element through the UI or through APIs. Once authenticated, you can use the element instance to access the different functionality offered by the Box platform.

Authenticate Through the UI

Use the UI to authenticate with Box and create an element instance. Because you authenticate with Box via OAuth 2.0, all you need to do is add a name for the instance. After you create the instance, you'll log in to Box to authorize Cloud Elements access to your account. For more information about authenticating an element instance, see Authenticate an Element Instance (UI).

After successfully authenticating, we give you several options for next steps. Make requests using the API docs associated with the instance, map the instance to a virtual data resource, or use it in a formula template.

Authenticate Through API

Authenticating through API is a multi-step process that involves:

Redirect URL

Authenticate Users

Authenticate Instance

Getting a redirect URL. This URL sends users to the vendor to log in to their account.
Authenticating users and receiving the authorization grant code. After the user logs in, the vendor makes a callback to the specified url with an authorization grant code.
Authenticating the element instance. Using the authorization code from the vendor, authenticate with the vendor to create an element instance at Cloud Elements.

Getting a Redirect URL

Redirect URL

Authenticate Users

Authenticate Instance

Use the following API call to request a redirect URL where the user can authenticate with the API provider. Replace {keyOrId} with the element key, box.

GET /elements/{keyOrId}/oauth/url?apiKey=<api_key>&apiSecret=<api_secret>&callbackUrl=<url>&siteAddress=<url>

Query Parameters

Query Parameter	Description
apiKey	The key obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the Consumer Key that you recorded in API Provider Setup.
apiSecret	The secret obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the Consumer Secret that you recorded in API Provider Setup.
callbackUrl	The URL that will receive the code from the vendor to be used to create an element instance. This is the Callback URL that you noted at the end of the API Provider Setup.

Example cURL

curl -X GET
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'
'https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/elements/box/oauth/url?apiKey=fake_api_key&apiSecret=fake_api_secret&callbackUrl=https://httpbin.org/get&state=box'

Example Response

Use the oauthUrl in the response to allow users to authenticate with the vendor.

{
  "oauthUrl": "https://www.box.com/api/oauth2/authorize?response_type=code&client_id=57du4eiw3cseqfrs06bn9hg37ff344hv&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fhttpbin.org%2Fget&state=box",
  "element": "box"
}

Authenticating Users and Receiving the Authorization Grant Code

Redirect URL

Authenticate Users

Authenticate Instance

Provide the response from the previous step to the users. After they authenticate, Box provides the following information in the response:

code
state

Response Parameter	Description
code	The Authorization Grant Code required by Cloud Elements to retrieve the OAuth access and refresh tokens from the endpoint.
state	A customizable identifier, typically the element key (`box`) .

Note: If the user denies authentication and/or authorization, there will be a query string parameter called error instead of the code parameter. In this case, your application can handle the error gracefully.

Authenticating the Element Instance

Redirect URL

Authenticate Users

Authenticate Instance

Use the /instances endpoint to authenticate with Box and create an element instance. If you are configuring events, see Box Events.

Note: The endpoint returns an element token upon successful completion. Retain the token for all subsequent requests involving this element instance.

To create an element instance:

Construct a JSON body as shown below (see Parameters):

{
  "element": {
    "key": "box"
  },
  "providerData": {
    "code": "<AUTHORIZATION_GRANT_CODE>"
  },
  "configuration": {
    "oauth.callback.url": "<CALLBACK_URL>",
    "oauth.api.key": "<CONSUMER_KEY>",
    "oauth.api.secret": "<CONSUMER_SECRET>",
    "filter.response.nulls": true
  },
  "tags": [
    "<Add_Your_Tag>"
  ],
  "name": "<INSTANCE_NAME>"
}

Call the following, including the JSON body you constructed in the previous step:
```
POST /instances
```
Note: Make sure that you include the User and Organization keys in the header. For more information, see Authorization Headers, Organization Secret, and User Secret.
Locate the token and id in the response and save them for all future requests using the element instance.

Example cURL

curl -X POST \
  https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/instances \
  -H 'authorization: User <USER_SECRET>, Organization <ORGANIZATION_SECRET>' \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "element": {
    "key": "box"
  },
  "providerData": {
    "code": "xoz8AFqScK2ngM04kSSM"
  },
  "configuration": {
    "oauth.callback.url": "<CALLBACK_URL>",
    "oauth.api.key": "<CONSUMER_KEY>",
    "oauth.api.secret": "<CONSUMER_SECRET>"
  },
  "tags": [
    "MyTag"
  ],
  "name": "My Box Instane"
}'

Parameters

API parameters not shown in Cloud Elements are in code formatting.

Note: Event related parameters are described in Events.

Parameter	Description	Data Type
'key'	The element key. box	string
name:`name`	A unique name for the element instance created during authentication.	string
`oauth.callback.url`	The Redirect URL from Box that you noted in API Provider Setup.	string
`oauth.api.key`	The Client Id from Box that you noted in API Provider Setup.	string
`oauth.api.secret`	The Client Secret from Box that you noted in API Provider Setup.	string
tags	Optional. User-defined tags to further identify the instance.	string

Example Response

{
  "id": 427236,
  "name": "FromAPI-tags",
  "createdDate": "2017-06-06T21:29:33Z",
  "token": "s;dkjhsadlkjhfvlkadflvakdfvaqewcs",
  "element": {
    "id": 22,
    "name": "Box",
    "hookName": "Box",
    "key": "box",
    "description": "Add a Box Instance to connect your existing Box account to the Documents Hub, allowing you to manage files and folders. You will need your Box account information to add an instance.",
    "image": "elements/provider_box.png",
    "active": true,
    "deleted": false,
    "typeOauth": true,
    "trialAccount": false,
    "configDescription": "If you do not have an Box.net account, you can create one at <a href=\"http://www.box.com\" target=\"_blank\">Box.Net Signup</a>",
    "resources": [],
    "transformationsEnabled": false,
    "bulkDownloadEnabled": false,
    "bulkUploadEnabled": false,
    "cloneable": true,
    "extendable": true,
    "beta": false,
    "authentication": {
      "type": "oauth2"
    },
    "extended": false,
    "hub": "documents",
    "protocolType": "http",
    "parameters": [],
    "private": false
  },
  "elementId": 22,
  "provisionInteractions": [],
  "valid": true,
  "disabled": false,
  "maxCacheSize": 0,
  "cacheTimeToLive": 0,
  "configuration": {
    "base.url": "",
    "oauth.api.secret": "wvyQdUrNvXbHabxPVcxZV60G0ELMEx3n",
    "event.notification.subscription.id": null,
    "event.metadata": "{\"webhook\": {\"file\": {\"eventTypes\": [\"created\", \"updated\", \"deleted\"]},\n        \"folder\": {\"eventTypes\": [\"created\", \"updated\", \"deleted\"]}}}",
    "oauth.subuser.email": null,
    "oauth.user.token": "KtWxcp0Rz4VYRdHh72g1mBu0yPW8Zbq8",
    "oauth.user.id": "263773421",
    "filter.response.nulls": "true",
    "pagination.type": "offset",
    "event.notification.callback.url": null,
    "oauth.callback.url": "https://httpbin.org/get",
    "event.notification.signature.key": null,
    "oauth.user.refresh_token": "mbqHxMQ0okd24mom1wsj3PMx41JLWpfAtmdtiSN0kWvbYGqpALCc6TldBVZrF92Z",
    "oauth.user.refresh_interval": null,
    "oauth.api.key": "57du4eiw3cseqfrs06bn9hg37ff344hv",
    "document.tagging": null,
    "oauth.user.refresh_time": "1496784574729",
    "event.notification.enabled": "false"
  },
  "eventsEnabled": false,
  "traceLoggingEnabled": false,
  "cachingEnabled": false,
  "externalAuthentication": "none",
  "user": {
    "id": 1234567
  }
}